The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of umbrellas and more specifically relates to an improved multi-functional umbrella comprising a mister having a variably controllable and pivotal mist head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Umbrellas are a handy and useful tool for protecting a user from getting wet from rain and precipitation, and for shielding a user from harmful rays emanating from the sun. People frequently carry with them an umbrella to be used in case of rain or on hot and sunny days. Since umbrellas are very commonplace in different societies, some people like to accessorize by carrying with them a fashionable or stylish umbrella. Alternatively, some people like to use umbrellas that provide other functions in addition to sun blocking and precipitation (rain) protection. Umbrellas may also have a variety of uses. Parasols are often used by beach goers and are planted in the sand to provide protection from the sun while sun bathing. Alternatively, many home owners enjoy sitting outside during the daytime and setting up a large umbrella to cover patio table or lawn chairs. There are virtually limitless uses for conventional umbrellas.
Many prior art umbrellas suffer from lack of durability. The elements of the weather as well as mechanical use or overuse have made existing umbrellas usable for only short periods of time. For example, problems with umbrella inversion, rusting of the frame, ripping of the material with strong gusts of wind, traction and retraction of the metal parts have reduced the longevity of the average umbrella. The embodiments described herein aim to provide a multi-functional and multi-purpose umbrella with increased durability thus allowing owners to enjoy the use of the umbrella longer than what is typical for an umbrella. It is also desirable to provide an umbrella that is aesthetically pleasing which the conventional versions do not. Exposure to the environment may lead to skin cancers, diseases associated with skin discoloration, blistering, pain which may be unpleasant for many suffers. It is desirable that exposure be minimized to avoid these health risks.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,759 to Okronick; U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,354 to Bolton; U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,000 to Apple; U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,225 to Klein, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,270 to Peter Dong; U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,107 to Jean M. Kelley; and U.S. Pub. Nos. 2008/0179426 to Johnson; 2005/0161066 to Joen-Shen Ma; 2002/0078985 to Fariss Farr; and 2008/0048051 to Chang. This prior art is representative of multi-functional umbrellas. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a mister-equipped umbrella should provide a user with an easy to open, easy to close (user-friendly), durable umbrella equipped with a mister assembly and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable mister-equipped umbrella system to enable a user to variably select a misting function to receive a steady supply of mist while being protected from the rays of the sun via an umbrella canopy and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.